Archive | April, 2016

Sammy Chand’s brand of music combines a distinct mix of elements from around the world. His music has been featured in shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show, So You Think You Can Dance, No Reservations, America’s Most Wanted, and over 50 other television programs around the world. His groundbreaking Indian hip hop fusion sound has been noted by the Smithsonian Museum, The NY Times, The Hindustan Times, MTV, BBC, WNYC, and KCRW, including the subject of several books about the emergence of his pioneering accomplishments in the genre.

His collaborations include work with the Wu Tang Clan, RahatFateh Ali Khan, Satinder Sartaaj, Michael Franti, Tisha Campbell Martin, Karmacy, Ozomatli, Chali 2na, Asha Puthli, Kanwar Gill, RasikaMathur and many other talented artists. Sammy’s recent work as Music Supervisor of the film SOLD has engaged his passion in the fight against Human Trafficking. He also worked alongside John McDowell on the film’s score. Sammy’s Los Angeles based label Rukus Avenue, the first of its kind in North America, will be releasing the Soundtrack to the film SOLD.

 Please tell us a bit about your academic/family background?

I’m Punjabi, born in London, and now living in Los Angeles. I went to college in California for Marketing and Psychology. I have a brother and a sister, and my parents live in LA. I’m married to my wife Anchal and we have two children.

 Why be in the arts?

I’m on a quest to help make a change in this world and use my creativity to leave a mark. I have a deep passion for music. The arts are to me is the most impactful way to tell a story about life and the human condition. Music does it in ways we can’t tangibly see. Music articulates our emotions.

 What is it for you? American music or Indian music?

Equal doses of both. I can honestly say, my favorite artist of all time is NusratFateh Ali Khan, but I’m known for my pioneering hip hop sound. My music is really a perfect reflection of me. I’m proud of the fact that I can blend the two cultures seamlessly and I feel that anyone from anywhere can relate. The world is so much smaller now, and we’re a multicultural world.

 Why do you think many modern songs & music videos are not like evergreen songs & music videos of the past?

I think the younger generations have a wider taste in music because they have access to so many different genres now. The songs may not seem evergreen to us, but all music is evergreen. It’s about your perspective. Just like our society, it’s all evolving.  Do you believe art is for entertainment or for social awareness? One can argue that with so much disturbance in life, people would like to enjoy art for relaxation purpose only.

Music has always been the soundtrack to life. We make music that reflects our society and the condition within. For me, I’ve always tried to carry a social message in my music, and it doesn’t have to do with lyrics or words.

I was the first to start rapping in our South Asian community perhaps worldwide, and I did that because it was the best way for me to tell my story.

It is obviously entertainment, but ethnomusicology has a greater story that sometimes stretches beyond borders and cultures. I’ve worked on music with RahatFateh Ali Khan that’s releasing on my album this year, but there has to be some reason why a Punjabi man in Los Angeles is releasing Qawwali music. It’s the magic of the greater story of music.

 What’s your family’s reaction to your profession choice?

You can’t do this without your family being behind you. I have two children and my wife has to often carry the greater load of raising them while I’m so busy. My family is the reason behind my success.

 Is it a profession where you can make money?

Yes, but at some point you’re put in a position between your own ambitions and success in the business of music. The two are not mutually exclusive and can co-exist. The successful ones have it their way with equal parts of both.

 Do good looks matter? Do they get you into the door?

I have no hair and I could use some time in the gym, but the music business has been kind to me! Not sure if looks matter, but personality certainly does. Work ethic certainly does.

 How do you keep yourself fit?

I try to run everyday, I drink plenty of water, and I certainly watch what I eat. With that being said, I think I could use some more time at keeping fit.

 How much time do you spend on social media?

I spend sporadic moments on social media. I have so many motivated and hard working friends that social media is the best way for me to keep up with them, so I spend some time everyday. It’s also become a major source of news too, I keep up socially through Facebook, but informationally through Twitter.

 What kind of pressures do you feel as a professional?

For me personally it’s balancing all the different facets of life. I’m engaged in so many different things at one time that I have to utilize my time efficiently. With all that being said, the pressure I feel comes from my desire to spend more time working on the creative side, because now you must spend time in other aspects of the business to remain successful.

 Is the industry different for men vs. women?

I can’t say I’m the best person to answer that. I do know that from the women I’ve worked with in this industry, that it is challenging to balance between societal expectations and the pursuit of their personal dreams. Especially those that maybe viewed as unconventional. It’s never easy for anyone to challenge the status-quo.

 What and who do you turn to when depressed?

I turn to music, I always turn inwards when I’m down.

 Where do you see yourself in ten years?’

On stage at the Grammys collecting an award. Thanking all the failures I’ve suffered for bringing me to this moment!

 What would you like to change in the world. Do you associate yourself with any charities?

Well the film Sold and my involvement as a composer and the music supervisor has really brought the fight against Human Trafficking to my attention. I’ve been involved with many different organization ranging from the United Nations to New Light in Kolkata.

New Light is run by our friend UrmiBasu and my wife and I have been very active in supporting women and children that have been rescued from sexual slavery. These women are taught new skills so they can pick up an alternative ways to make money. This way they don’t get pulled back into their old life. Their kids are then rescued off the streets and provided safe homes, an education, and access to healthcare.

 Yourfavourite male artist

NusratFateh Ali Khan

Yourfavourite female artist

Lauryn Hill and MIA

 What are you currently working on, and what’s coming up in the future?

I’m currently finishing work on the Sold soundtrack with music by John McDowell, Salim & Suleiman, Michael Franti, Cappadonna, MidivalPunditz, and more. I’m also working on my album which will feature music by Satinder Sartaaj, Ozomatli, Tisha Campbell Martin, RahatFateh Ali Khan, Michael Franti, Divine, Kanwar Gill, Cappadonna, and more. I’m also working on a couple of new films right now, but my favorite is making albums and songs with artists. You can always keep up with me at Sammychand.com.

Public safety is paramount to living in a functioning democracy. It’s why governments around the world are committed to ensuring their citizens are protected from those who would do them harm.

However, in the frightening days following 9/11 and in the years since then western governments have struggled, and at times failed, at both safeguarding public safety and protecting the freedoms they are ostensibly fighting for.

With Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale currently embarking on a sweeping review of national security policy in Canada, and promising to consult with communities and civil society, now is an opportune moment to raise critical issues that have been neglected or bungled for too long.

First, the federal government must review the lessons of the past and implement the required fixes. It’s hard to fathom but there is no guarantee that the mistakes that led to the detention and torture of Canadian citizen Maher Arar couldn’t happen again. The recommendations put forward by the Arar Commission more than 10 years ago after a protracted public inquiry have yet to be fully implemented. The recommendations included a range of measures that would ensure proper oversight and review of security agencies, clear limits on information-sharing and adequate mechanisms to respond to the detention and potential torture of Canadians abroad (currently, there are at least two Canadians unjustly held in China and Ethiopia who have very likely been tortured).

Second, the government must accept the findings of an internal inquiry into the handling of a case involving three other men who were also tortured abroad. Back in 2008, Justice Frank Iacobucci found that the actions of Canadian officials indirectly led to the overseas detention and torture of Canadians citizens Ahmad El Maati, Muayyed Nureddin and Abdullah Almalki. When in opposition, the Liberals supported the call for apologies and compensation to the three men. Today, the government is stepping up a legal battle to fight their claims for justice.

Moreover, the government has not yet taken a firm position on the use of torture-tainted evidence, or the sharing of information with states that are known human rights abusers.

These are critical issues that should be top of mind for the minister’s office and would be best addressed by “eliminating any possible Canadian complicity in torture, avoiding the risk of other human rights abuses and ensuring accountability,” as stated by the Arar Commission report.

Third, the government has committed to creating a new Office of the Community Outreach and Counter-radicalization Coordinator. We’re told details are forthcoming, but what communities will no doubt be watching for is whether this office will operate on the false premise that Canadian Muslims are the “problem” or will it turn the page on a lost decade of policy-making and truly address the various factors leading to radicalization, the role of community stigmatization, as well as security threats from far-right extremists (who have been identified by Canada’s security agencies as a leading security concern).

Additionally, the government’s approach cannot only be about “hard security” measures such as surveillance, arrest and incarceration, as a recent brief by the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society points out. “Comparatively little time, effort and funding have been earmarked for ‘softer security’ approaches, which aim to deter individuals from radicalizing to violence in the first instance, or to ‘disengage’ those who have adopted violent behaviours,” wrote the brief’s authors, including a retired CSIS senior official.

Finally, perhaps the most important test for the government will be how it implements the recommended changes and amendments to the Anti-terrorism Act, 2015.

It makes sense that Goodale has been looking overseas to see how other democracies are addressing these complex issues, but he should be careful not to repeat their mistakes either. For instance, the British government’s counterterrorism program, “Prevent”, has been widely criticized. The government can be confident in knowing that we have our own legal and security experts, as well as robust civil society actors and engaged community partners, who are ready and willing to help craft made-in-Canada solutions.

In these difficult times, what the world needs now is a country that demonstrates how to balance rights and security to ensure everyone’s well-being. Will it be Canada?

Amira Elghawaby is the communications director at the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM).

Member of Provincial Parliament for St. Paul’s and Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

As Ontario’s Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, it is my responsibility to ensure that we have a health care system that delivers the best possible care for all patients. This means putting the needs of patients first and foremost with each and every decision I make. It means providing patients with faster access to care today, and building a sustainable system that will be there for patients and their families in the future.

I believe our government and the province’s doctors have the same objective: that Ontario remains the best province for physicians to practice in, as well as the best place for patients to receive care. We have seen that in the work we have done together on so many initiatives to improve patient care. Today, due to the hard work and commitment of our primary care providers, fully 94 per cent of Ontarians are attached to a family doctor or nurse practitioner. And by increasing the amount we spend on health care in this province, we are adding 700 new doctors and specialists this year alone.

Through 82 Health Links right across the province, we’ve worked together to put in place teams of primary care providers — including family doctors – who coordinate services so that patients who need care the most have easier, faster and more coordinated access. Those patients include seniors who have multiple chronic conditions and who, without the support of our Health Links, may have trouble navigating the health care system.

The team-based model of primary care is one that is working well in communities across the province. Through our Family Health Teams, physicians and other health care team members have been leaders in transforming the way we deliver primary care so that it is more patient-centred, helping to meet the full spectrum of a patient’s needs. Family Health Teams now serve more than 3 million patients in 200 communities.

I’m proud of the progress we’ve been able to make together with our primary care doctors. Family doctors have been excellent partners over the past decade as we have worked together to strengthen primary care and our health care system more broadly. They provide outstanding patient care, and they deserve to be well compensated for the central role they play in a patient’s health care experience.

Even though we have achieved so much together, I know there is still significant work to do. The progress we’ve made together has been, in no small part, due to the leadership of our front-line health care providers. That’s why we need the Ontario Medical Association — the organization that represents doctors in this province — to come back to the negotiating table, as a partner, and put its energy toward transforming the health care system with us. I strongly urge the OMA to return to the negotiating table so that we can reach a deal on physician compensation and go back to doing what we have done so well for the past decade: improving the health care system together, hand in hand, so that it provides faster access to high quality care today and tomorrow.

On Friday April 22, 2016, Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins proved that for the Ontario Liberal party, playing politics is far more important than providing good governance.

In a 20-minute speech, he alleged that the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) wasn’t negotiating, and further, singled out what he felt were high-billing specialists (in particular ophthalmologists and radiologists) for, what he felt, were “uncontrolled and unpredictable billings.”

In a flurry of catchy, colourful graphs, he outlined how, in his opinion, all of these high-billing physicians took money away from the home care, nursing care, palliative care and, well, just about anything else.

Predictably, the negative reaction in the physician community has been swift, with an unprecedented number of negative comments being made among members of Concerned Ontario Doctors (COD). The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) immediately accused Hoskins of mischaracterizing the facts.

Certainly attacking physicians in such a public manner will not in any way heal the relationship between the Hoskins and the OMA. In fact, it probably has gone a long way towards entrenching the dispute and worsening the divide, which will only create more uncertainty and more instability in the health care system.

As I had mentioned in a previous column, the reason for attacking doctors is a desperate political gamble, one that Hoskins and the Liberals seem to have doubled down on with this latest speech.

Is it not curious that the speech comes three days after revelations that WE, the taxpayers, have to foot the $100-million dollar bill to send leukemia patients to Buffalo for stem cell transplants, because the health care system is in such disarray?

Is it not curious that his speech came the day before the Concerned Ontario Doctors group planned a rally to support a properly funded health care system?

It is it not curious that the speech comes after weeks of revelatory examples of just how badly the health care system is deteriorating, including:

An Alzheimers patient slept on the floor of an emergency room for eight days waiting for a hospital bed.

A 10-month-old baby had to go for two days without food while waiting for surgery.

St. Josephs in Hamilton is replacing highly skilled nurses in its neonatal intensive care unit.

Seventy per cent of new graduate physicians are considering leaving the province when their training ends in June 2016 (Hoskins conveniently claimed to only have 2014-15 data).

Faced with such bad news stories, and more to come, the Liberals conveniently reverted to the age-old political trick of identifying an adversary and demonizing them in public.

Your mom can’t get a personal support care worker to see her at home? Must be because of ophthalmologists that “make” over a million dollars a year fixing cataracts (conveniently exclude that overhead for ophthalmologists is up to 75 per cent of billings).

Nurses being laid off at the hospitals? Damn those radiologists for reading all your diagnostic test reports!

Waiting too long for hip replacement surgery? If only those doctors didn’t have “uncontrolled and unpredictable” billings!

Hoskins bitterly complained that the Physicians Services Budget overspent by $745 million in the past four years. Well, you know what? At least that money went to help the people of Ontario.

Hoskins knows very well that the only way a physician can bill OHIP is to provide care to a patient. That $745 million went to provide retinal surgery to a patient so they wouldn’t go blind; to a person having a heart attack and needed life-saving treatment; to a child with recurrent ear infections who needed tubes so they wouldn’t be on antibiotics all the time; to a patient who was terminally ill so that they could have the palliative care they deserve; and so on.

Can we really say that the more than $1-billion wasted on eHealth helped the people of Ontario like the $745 million overage on patient services? Or the money wasted on Orange? Don’t even get me started about the money wasted on gas plants.

However, this desperate gamble seems to have failed completely. The front page of theToronto Star the next day had the heartbreaking story of Laura Hillier instead. Not only that, but it appears even more people showed up at the Rally for Health Care that the COD had on April 23, 2016 as a result of the attack. This story again made the front page of the Star, as opposed to the lingering aftereffects of Hoskins’ attack on physicians.

I was at the rally and my personal observation was that there were a lot of passionate, dedicated people (both physicians and others) who would all be willing to contribute to improving the health care system, if only their voices were heard and acknowledged.

I was personally stunned by how many people honked their horns in support of us as we marched (and here I thought we would get hassled for tying up traffic in Toronto’s downtown core!). I guess the sight of doctors picketing in lab coats was enough to inspire many others. I felt overwhelmed by the support and grateful to the organizers for sticking with the vision of the rally.

Eric Hoskins has taken the position that the health care needs a “system transformation.” I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. However, rather than get to work on meaningful transformation, he has elected to play politics instead.

The result will be a continuance of uncertainty and compromised health care for all Ontarians. The turnout and support at the rally shows that the public recognizes this, and that his tactics have failed completely.

Prime Nawaz Sharif’s address to the nation on April 22 did not defuse tension in Pakistan’s politics. Though he agreed to the opposition’s demand to write a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court for establishing a Judicial Commission for investigation of the financial information leaked by the Panama Documents, the speech would not reduce tension between the federal government and the opposition parties, especially the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf.

There are two reasons for the continuation of the confrontation between the federal government and the opposition.

First, the terms and conditions for the proposed Judicial Commission are so open-ended that it would not be able to complete its task easily. The judicial Commission has been asked to investigate the information on off-shore companies and confidential financial activity of some rich people as well as examine who received loans from the banks in Pakistan and how these loans were written-off.

The Panama Leaks task is very complex. If some new names became known when more Panama Papers become available, the task of the Commission will increase from the current figure of 200 people. The task of the Commission is complicated further by asking it to investigate the loans from Pakistan banks. This issue alone can take more than one year for investigation. The investigation of the Panama Leaks will increase the investigation time to two years or more. The combining of two tasks is unrealistic.

Second, The Prime Minister was in an angry mood and he used several negative words to criticize the opposition, especially the PTI, for their political stand on the Panama Leaks. He blamed the opposition for destabilizing the country. He accused the opposition of adopting “fascist” attitude in politics and blamed the “Dharna” in 2014 by the PTI for undermining stability. This blame policy produced a negative reaction from the opposition within two hours of the Prime Minister’s speech.

Nawaz Sharif also criticized the military without naming it. He asked the question why was he forced out of office by unconstitutional means in October 1999, put in jail and later forced out of the country. He argued that he spent a long painful time in exile outside of Pakistan.

He maintained that he was not afraid of fake threats by the opposition and that he was there to stay on and pursue work for the development and betterment of people. He, however, declared that he would be willing to quit if he was found guilty of wrong doing by the Judicial Commission.

Nawaz Sharif maintained that he was a victim of vicious propaganda by his political adversaries. He earned his wealth through a long struggle and used to pay taxes at a time when many people did not know the meanings of Tax.

The tone of Nawaz Sharif’s speech and the sharp criticism of the opposition and the military is expected to increase political tensions in Pakistan. His anger can be explained with reference to the political pressures created by the developments since the first disclosure of the Panama Document Leaks. Imran Khan has been making a sharp criticism of Nawaz Sharif since then.

The pressure from the Army has also increased as it stepped up its role in the Punjab to control terrorism. The Chottu Gang episode also increased the Army’s pressure. The Army was able to contain the activities of the Chottu Gang and arrest its leader after the Punjab Police failed to control him.

The Army’s pressure also increased when the Army Chief announced the army’s support for controlling corruption as a part of its efforts to check terrorism. Two days later, the Army took punitive action against several officers for engaging in corrupt practices for making illegal money. The latter step built the pressure on the Prime Minister to take steps for ending political corruption and especially investigating the information that has been made available by the disclosure of the Panama papers. As the pressure from the Army and the opposition increased, he decided to accept the opposition demand for investigation of the Panama Leaks. However, the angry tone of Nawaz Sharif and the unnecessary expansion of the task of the proposed Commission has minimized the chances of political reconciliation.

Nawaz Sharif and his close associates are convinced that the Army and some opposition parties, especially Imran Khan, are pursuing their own agendas to weaken the PMLN government. Therefore, he adopted a tough posture in the speech. This is not expected to help Nawaz Sharif. This is expected to increase conflict between Nawaz Sharif and the Army as well as between Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan. The only positive news for the Prime Minister is that all major opposition parties are not united in challenging him. Three political parties are not yet fully endorsing Imran Khan’s politics against Nawaz Sharif. These parties are PPP, MQM and ANP The JUIF is inclined towards the PMLN. It can increase the price for its continued support to the federal government. The Jamaat-i-Islami and the PMLQ are expected to support Imran Khan.

There is a need of limiting the scope of the Commission to the Panama Document Leaks. The Prime Minister should address the contradictions in statements of his two sons about the family’s financial affairs. There is hardly any effort in this direction.

This political system is moving towards greater confrontation. The increased distrust between the government and the opposition and a subtle PMLN propaganda against the Army are not expected to safeguard the political interests of Nawaz Sharif. The need of the hour is not defiance on the part of the Prime Minister but political reconciliation. However, Pakistani politics is not moving in that direction.

Patriotic chest-thumping over the weekend in India gave way to embarrassment and bitterness as the government made a very public U-turn on issuing a visa to Uighur dissident Dolkun Isa. He is the executive committee chairman of the World Uighur Congress, an organization that represents a predominantly Muslim ethnic group in China’s far-west, and has been labeled a terrorist by the Chinese government. China issued a “red corner notice” to the international policing agency Interpol seeking his arrest more than a decade ago, but other governments have refused to act on the request.

Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, who are often self-conscious about how India matches up with China, took to social media over the weekend to celebrate the news that Isa had procured a tourist visa to India, using the hashtag #ModiSlapsChina. Many viewed the visa as a “slap” because China had used its clout at the United Nations earlier in

April to block India’s attempt to have Masood Azhar, the alleged mastermind of an attack on an Indian air force base in January, designated an international terrorist.

Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, was quoted in the Indian media as saying that “Dolkun is a terrorist on red notice of the Interpol and Chinese police. Bringing him to justice is due obligation of relevant countries.”

A spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup, was noncommittal in his response, simply saying, “We have seen media reports and the ministry is trying to ascertain facts.”

On Monday, it became clear that India’s various ministries had not coordinated closely enough, if at all, on Isa’s visa, and its potential geopolitical ramifications, and they canceled the visa. Isa came forward with a statement expressing disappointment and said he could only speculate that Chinese pressure led to the reversal. The turnaround by the New Delhi government did not please Indians, with the hashtag #ModiBowsToChina topping India’s Twitter trends Monday.

Modi and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping have visited each other’s capitals, and both have made overtures about solving border disputes that have persisted long after China easily won a 1962 war against India. India’s hosting of the Dalai Lama and Tibet’s government-in-exile is another major sore point.

Isa fled China in 1997 on a fake passport and has since lived in Germany, where he holds citizenship. He says he is a principled supporter of nonviolence.

Isa’s trip to India would have allowed him to attend a conference aimed mostly at seeking democratization in China. Organized by Initiatives for China, a group that includes several student leaders who were present at the Tiananmen Square uprising, the conference will take place from April 28 through May 1 in Dharmsala, a city that hosts the Tibetan government-in-exile. The Dalai Lama will be in attendance.

The Uighur ethnic group to which Isa belongs faces restrictions regarding its culture, language, and religion, including not being able to fast during the Ramadan holiday, or take children to mosques. The Chinese government is wary of Uighur separatists, whom it has accused of fomenting unrest. It began to label some as “terrorists” in 2001 — and Isa in 2003 — as a way to appeal to an international community increasingly worried about the spread of radical Islam.

For its part, Modi’s government, like the Congress Party-led one that preceded his, seems unable to avoid high-profile, public U-turns on policy and more quotidian matters such as Isa’s visa. Although Modi’s political campaigns have been characterized by slick, media-savvy offerings, the turnarounds provide ample fodder for the Indian media to question the cohesion of Indian bureaucracy’s many moving parts, something Modi promised to improve when he assumed office in 2014.

Now that the end of the school year is just about here, students are heading online in droves to hunt for jobs and summer internships. In Canada, there are more Google searches for summer jobs in April than any other time of year, and globally, LinkedIn sees more students active on the platform than any other time of the year.

For those of you that haven’t yet found a role, there’s no need to panic. Here are my five top tips to help those looking to jump start their career.

1. Nurture your network:
Don’t leave it until after graduation to start growing your professional network; start connecting with family, friends and contacts from internships and other work experiences now. As 80 per cent of job openings are never advertised, tapping into your network can help increase your odds of finding your dream opportunity.

2. Search for relevant positions with LinkedIn Student Jobs:

Know what you’re looking for, but not how to find it? LinkedIn’s Student Jobs tool connects you with student internships and jobs for graduates on LinkedIn, and allows students to filter by industry, location, company and more.

3. Complete your profile:

Hone your profile, making sure to avoid generic buzzwords to help you stand out from the crowd. The more complete it is, the more appealing it will be to others, so make sure you fill out each section to boost your chances of being ‘found’ by recruiters and potential employers.

Remember, a great profile doesn’t just state what you’ve done; it should show who you are. Start with a strong opening summary statement, then complete the profile sections designed just for students, such as courses (for anything related to your desired industry), volunteer experience and causes (to help round you out), projects, languages, certifications, organizations and more.

4. A picture tells a thousand words:

LinkedIn isn’t Facebook. Upload a high-quality photo (your profile will be 14 times more likely to be viewed) of you alone, professionally dressed. You don’t need a professional photographer to take a professional headshot; your smartphone can do the trick. LinkedIn has created a guide on taking the perfect work selfie. Consider uploading PDFs, photos or documents to your profile to create an online portfolio that showcases your best projects.

5. Connect with your university alumni:

Reach out to alumni who are already working in your dream job or field, and use their career paths to help you map your own. Become a member of your university’s alumni group on LinkedIn; engage productively and professionally in group discussions by commenting on an article someone has posted or starting a discussion of your own. Introduce yourself and be upfront about your goals. Often, you’ll be surprised by how willing people are to give you the inside scoop on the graduate job market.

Bonus tip:

Want to really stand out? Publishing a post on LinkedIn is a great way to demonstrate how you can communicate ideas and opinions. Share your thoughts on issues or trends in your field or share a personal anecdote (suitable for a professional audience!). A short but well-articulated post can help show potential employers who you are and how you think.

Taking the time to do some online research, strengthen your profile and create (and maintain) a robust network doesn’t require a significant time investment and can pay dividends for your career in the long term.

While as a student or recent graduate you might not have a wealth of relevant professional experience, cultivating a strong online brand which showcases your passion and where you want to go in your career can help you make a lasting impression on recruiters and prospective employers.

A group of Ryerson University students recently presented a case study report on “Comprehensive Marketing Plan” of Canadian Newa Guthi (CNG), a Greater Toronto Area based organization dedicated to promote Newar culture and serve Nepalese and other community. The group study report , consisting of various recommendations like; youth involvement, collaboration with other organizations, extending membership numbers, revenue streams, organizational branding, was conducted analytically through different methodologies.

Disconnecting is the most important strategy on this list, because if you can’t find a way to remove yourself electronically from your work, then you’ve never really left work.

Making yourself available to your work 24/7 exposes you to a constant barrage of stressors that prevent you from refocusing and recharging. If taking the entire weekend off handling work e-mails and calls isn’t realistic, try designating specific times on Saturday and Sunday for checking e-mails and responding to voicemails. For example, check your messages on Saturday afternoon while your kids are getting a haircut and on Sunday evenings after dinner. Scheduling short blocks of time will alleviate stress without sacrificing availability.

Rule #2: Minimize Chores

Chores have the tendency to monopolize your free time. When this happens, you lose the opportunity to relax and reflect. What’s worse is that a lot of chores feel like work, and if you spend all weekend doing them, you just put in a seven-day workweek. To keep this from happening, you need to schedule your chores like you would anything else during the week, and if you don’t complete them during the allotted time, you move on and finish them the following weekend.

Rule #3: Exercise

No time to exercise during the week? You have 48 hours every weekend to make it happen. Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a soothing neurotransmitter that reduces stress. Exercise is also a great way to come up with new ideas. Innovators and other successful people know that being outdoors often sparks creativity.

I know that a lot of my best ideas come to me while I’m surfing. While you’re out in the ocean, the combination of invigorating activity and beautiful scenery creates the perfect environment for an influx of creativity. Whether you’re running, cycling, or gardening, exercise leads to endorphin-fueled introspection. The key is to find a physical activity that does this for you and then to make it an important part of your weekly routine.

Rule #4: Pursue a Passion

You might be surprised what happens when you pursue something you’re passionate about during your time off. Indulging your passions is a great way to escape stress and to open your mind to new ways of thinking. Things like playing music, reading, writing, painting, or even playing catch with your kids can help stimulate different modes of thought that can reap huge dividends over the coming week.

Rule #5: Spend Quality Time with Family

Spending quality time with your family is essential if you want to recharge and relax. Weekdays are so hectic that the entire week can fly by with little quality family time. Don’t let this bleed into your weekends. Take your kids to the park, take your spouse to his or her favorite restaurant, and go visit your parents. You’ll be glad you did.

Rule #6: Schedule Micro-Adventures

Buy tickets to a concert or play, or get reservations for that cool new hotel that just opened downtown. Instead of running on a treadmill, plan a hike. Try something you haven’t done before or perhaps something you haven’t done in a long time. Studies show that anticipating something good to come is a significant part of what makes the activity pleasurable. Knowing that you have something interesting planned for Saturday will not only be fun come Saturday, but it will significantly improve your mood throughout the week.

Rule #7: Wake Up at the Same Time

It’s tempting to sleep in on the weekend to catch up on your sleep. Though it feels good temporarily, having an inconsistent wake-up time disturbs your circadian rhythm (and can aggravate depression). Your body cycles through an elaborate series of sleep phases in order for you to wake up rested and refreshed. One of these phases involves preparing your mind to be awake and alert, which is why people often wake up just before their alarm clock goes off (the brain is trained and ready). When you sleep past your regular wake-up time on the weekend, you end up feeling groggy and tired. This isn’t just disruptive to your day off, it also makes you less productive on Monday because your brain isn’t ready to wake up at your regular time. If you need to catch up on sleep, just go to bed earlier.

Rule #8: Reflect

Weekly reflection is a powerful tool for improvement. Use the weekend to contemplate the larger forces that are shaping your industry, your organization, and your job. Without the distractions of Monday to Friday busy work, you should be able to see things in a whole new light. Use this insight to alter your approach to the coming week, improving the efficiency and efficacy of your work.

Rule #9: Designate Mornings as Me Time

It can be difficult to get time to yourself on the weekends, especially if you have family. Finding a way to engage in an activity you’re passionate about first thing in the morning can pay massive dividends in happiness and cleanliness of mind. It’s also a great way to perfect your circadian rhythm by forcing yourself to wake up at the same time you do on weekdays. Your mind achieves peak performance two-to-four hours after you wake up, so get up early to do something physical, and then sit down and engage in something mental while your mind is at its peak.

Rule #10: Prepare for the Upcoming Week

The weekend is a great time to spend a few moments planning your upcoming week. As little as 30 minutes of planning can yield significant gains in productivity and reduced stress. The week feels a lot more manageable when you go into it with a plan because all you have to focus on is execution.

The makers of Housefull 3 has released the trailer of the film on Sunday, which features an ensemble cast comprising actors Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Lisa Haydon and Nargis Fakhri. The movie looks promising and will definitely tickle your funny bones.

The trailer starts with Boman Irani introducing his daughters, Jacqueline, Lisa and Nargis. He doesn’t want them to get married but twist in the tale is that they have their respective boyfriends.

Housefull 3 retains Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Boman Irani and Chunkey Pandey while Abhishek Bachchan is the new addition to the club.

Bachchan has previously impressed audience with his comic timings in movies like Dostana and Bol Bachchan. Sharing the trailer on his Twitter account, Akshay Kumar wrote, “And the house just got 3 times madder, funnier and fuller!